


Stray Lucian Greyhound

by Crazyloststar



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Brotherhood (Final Fantasy XV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21976321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/pseuds/Crazyloststar
Summary: “What do you know about soulmates, Prom?”***But you had to come along didn't youTear down the doors, throw open windowsOh if you knew just what a fool you have made me***Written for the 2019 FFXV Secret Santa.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum
Comments: 13
Kudos: 132





	Stray Lucian Greyhound

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lhugy_for_short](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lhugy_for_short/gifts).



> This is a continuation of my soulmate au from promptio week, where soulmates can feel each other's pain and pleasure. [Hands Free](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261987)
> 
> Happy Holidays!!

_“What do you know about soulmates, Prom?”_

The answer Prompto had given at that moment, sitting on the ground of the training hall, had been really more just him sputtering and biting his tongue for about an hour than saying any real words. Because what he knew about soulmates he had shoved into the back of his mind as a fairy tale. There was no way, he had thought, that people could actually be connected so they could feel physical sensations of another human being. It just didn’t make sense.

So later, he found himself sitting up in Noct’s room, hands clasped tight in his lap. He hadn’t touched the water set in front of him. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Gladio, who sat on the other side of the couch, nor Ignis and Noctis, standing in front of them both.

Knowing that the reason he had been feeling a lot of the things he had, for _years_ , was because of Gladio, had him on the verge of fainting. Because that also meant that Gladio had felt everything _he_ had done and... thinking about that was gonna give him a panic attack.

“How...” Prompto started for the hundredth time. He forced himself to finally ask the question that had been spinning through his mind since being told _the_ Gladiolus Amicitia was his soulmate. “How is this even real?”

“It’s not so common these days,” Prompto lifted his head at the sound of Ignis’s calming voice, “but it does crop up. Most people don't realize what is happening to them, so they never discover the truth.”

Prompto tightened his grip on his hands. “Do...you guys? Have uh...soulmates?”

Prompto almost hoped they didn’t - if only because he knew the two were dating, and how weird would that be if they had someone out there, whom they technically were supposed to be with.

Ignis cleared his throat and gave Noctis a strange look.

Noctis scratched at his shoulder. “That’s how I knew something was up. When you would text me you were hurt, almost every time Gladio had gotten injured in practice or something.”

“Wait, you guys!” Prompto looked at Gladio in shock, but he was focused on his feet. When Prompto turned back to the others, he could tell they were trying not to laugh.

Prompto narrowed his eyes. “But you said it was rare.”

Noctis shrugged. “Ya well. Weird coincidence, I guess?”

Ignis stepped forward, hand on Noctis’s shoulder. “I do believe we have seen enough evidence now to show that this is in fact what is happening, Prompto.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before? That you’re...this?”

“Would you have believed us, if you hadn’t experienced it for yourself?” Ignis raised an eyebrow.

He looked down at his hands. He couldn't bring himself to look at Gladio now. This was all so... Weird. He knew Gladio, but like. As this distant, buff guy who protected Noctis. He hadn't ever thought there would ever be anything else between them, and now they were soulmates? What was he supposed to do?

Prompto was certain it had been different for Ignis and Noctis - they already knew each other from a young age. It would have been easy he was sure, for them to fall into something together.

“So, what the hell do we do?” Gladio echoed his thoughts and it made him nearly fall off the couch when he shot upright to look at him.

Their eyes met. Gladio hunched a little. Of course he would be pissed _Prompto_ of all people was his soulmate. Made sense.

“I just mean,”

Prompto brought his legs up so his knees tucked against his chest as he watched Gladio work through his thoughts.

“This is a lot to process. What, are we just...magically...dating?”

That...wasn't the question Prompto had been expecting. He figured Gladio would look for any way out. Could he still date anyone else, was there any way to severe the weird connection? So many questions he was certain Gladio would be chasing down.

“That is something the two of you need to talk about I would say,” when he looked up, Ignis had grabbed Noctis once more by the arm. “Preferably alone I would say. We will leave you to it,”

He started to uncurl his legs. “Hey guys it’s-”

Noctis followed Ignis’s lead though, raising a hand in the air as his back was to him and Gladio. “Later!”

The door shut. Prompto clung to his shins.

“Hey look, Prompto,” the couch shifted as Gladio slid across and he held his breath. When he turned his head, he met Gladio’s stare and still couldn't find the breath in his lungs.

“I know we haven't gotten to talk much aside from hanging out together but - you seem like a good guy. I know Ignis wouldn't just trust anyone, and Noct really likes you. That’s always meant a lot to me.”

Prompto swallowed. He forced himself to unwind a little to face Gladio more. He could handle rejection, he just had to stay strong like he always did in the face of disappointment.

“We don't have into jump into anything, big guy.” He smiled and knew it was probably awkward, but he had to just. Get through this.

“I mean, ya,” Gladio shifted and leaned back against the couch. “You're right, we can take things slow.”

“Ya.” Prompto blinked, the words sinking in. “Wait...slow?”

Gladio sighed and crossed his arms. Prompto forced himself to focus on his face, not the way his muscles moved. “I mean, it’s not like being soulmates makes us instantly fall in love, right? It just means some cosmic force has decided we...are connected.”

Just mention of the word love had Prompto immediately sweating.

“Ya it’s all kinda crazy right? Just _boom_ soulmates. Who would have thought?”

“Ya,” Gladio studied him for a moment. He tried not to fidget too much. He probably failed though. “So, Prompto.”

This was it, Gladio would just say have a nice life, we’ll still be friends, see you later.

“Wanna go to the movies?”

Prompto blinked. “Eh?”

* * *

The next few weeks were weird, but also strangely normal at the same time. Prompto and Gladio hung out just the two of them, a few times, but they never touched, never did anything that suggested anything more than just two bros hanging out. And they were of course with Ignis and Noctis more than anything as per usual, the four of them hanging out multiple times a week.

The biggest change was the times when Prompto and Gladio would grab dinner when the other two got stuck at work. But as they kept hanging out, Prompto relaxed little by little. It seemed Gladio had just wanted to hang out, not date. That was cool, he could do that.

That was fine. Prompto wasn't heartbroken; he hadn't expected to have a soulmate ever to begin with, let alone have someone who would have actually liked him.

But their times together were always fun, so there was a small part of Prompto that maybe was a little sad, from time to time, that he and Gladio weren’t dating. They had started to laugh more, joke around, even have some more physical contact with each other, and it was just nice to have more people in his life that he could hang out with.

He supposed that was what he would have to be happy with.

* * *

Prompto was at work at the photography studio. He was with a client - a young mother with her daughter, celebrating their second birthday with a themed photoshoot.

A searing pain hit him in the face as he was in the middle of snapping a picture, down the left side. He cried out and stumbled away from the camera on its tripod clutching his face. It burned and hurt worse than any pain he had felt before, but when he pulled his hand away there was no blood on his face.

 _Gladio_ .

The pain was barely tolerable but he managed to mutter an apology to the woman and flag down another worker so he could go in the back. He dialed Gladio - hit voicemail immediately.

He called Noctis - also voicemail.

He groaned in frustration and dialed Ignis.

It rang and then - “Prompto?”

“Iggy!” He was shouting but he couldn’t help it, “is he -- what happened?”

Ignis muttered something that sounded like a curse. “It’s Gladio. There was an altercation. He's alright, just getting patched up.”

“Ignis you can't lie to me my face feels like it’s been split open. What is going on?”

He sighed. “Can you leave work?”

“Ya of course. Just tell me where you are.”

“Insomnia General. We are just waiting to be able to see him.”

“How’s Noct?”

“An absolute wreck.”

Prompto wheezed as another shot of pain reverberated through his skull. “I don't know if I can get there right now dude.”

“I’ll order you a car.”

Under any normal circumstances he might have argued, but the pain just wasn’t fading. He had to keep his left eye shut, and another wave of nausea came over him. He braced against the counter.

“Ya, ok.”

He got outside his building after a lot of apologies to his coworker with only the explanation of gotta go home not well. He looked the part, at least. But he wasn't sure if it was just the pain anymore making him sick - he was also genuinely worried for Gladio. Whatever had happened, whatever he was going through, it felt fucking awful.

The car showed up within minutes and Prompto hobbled into the backseat. He didn't know the driver, so he just stayed quiet, curled up in the back trying to breathe through the shots of pain washing over him.

He texted Ignis when he was close to the hospital and met him in the lobby. The pain had subsided a little, but he still had a hard time opening his left eye without feeling like it would spark pain.

“He’s mostly sedated now,” Ignis informed him as they made their way into the elevator. Ignis had a look of concern as he studied Prompto's face.

“But he's ok, right?”

Ignis nodded. “He’ll have a scar, but he will be ok, he won't lose his sight in his left eye. The doctors managed that much.”

“That's...good. It felt like hell. I can't imagine what it was like for him. Or you guys, to see it.”

They were in the elevator. Ignis paled, and he was sure it wasn’t from the lighting. “Noctis is very shaken.”

“What happened?”

“A drunk came after him when they were walking past a bar. Gladio stepped in front and took a broken bottle to his face. He protected Noct.”

Prompto couldn’t even imagine what it had been like, being there when it happened. If the pain he had felt was any indication of how bad it was, it was obvious Ignis was trying not to worry Prompto. The elevator dinged. Prompto almost didn’t move. Ignis stepped out and looked back to him.

“Are you alright?”

Prompto stepped out but he gripped the elevator door. It beeped at him and he jumped, moving towards Ignis quickly. “Ya just. I don’t know dude. This is just a lot.”

“You haven't felt the connection in some time?”

Prompto shook his head. “We've been more mindful. I guess he has especially.”

“I know he...worries. And cares. Just remember that, Prompto.”

They turned a corner down a hallway. Noctis sat in a chair outside the door. When he heard their footsteps, his head shot up.

“Specs!” He shouted and stormed towards them. “They won’t let me in! They say he needs time to rest but I just want to check in on him and -”

Ignis raised a hand. Noctis stopped, but once Ignis was close enough Noctis gripped his forearm with both hands.

Ignis knocked on the door. A young nurse joined them in the hallway. Despite being shorter than all of them, she held herself in a way that intimidated Prompto. He stayed behind Ignis to avoid detection.

“Hello, Nurse Althaea?”

“Look I’m sorry. I've already told his highness that Mr. Amicitia -”

“Yes of course. I understand. However,” Ignis turned and looked at Prompto. He cleared his throat a little before continuing, “I have Mr. Amicitia’s soulmate here, Mr. Argentum. He is quite concerned, as I'm sure you can imagine.”

There was a pause. The nurse studied Ignis, then her eyes landed on Prompto. He felt heat in his cheeks. He wondered if she would even believe it.

“It's rare you know,”

He paused, “Huh?”

“That people find their soulmate. Most of the time we just have to treat people for chronic pain and call it a day. They never find the person causing it.”

Prompto squirmed.

“You should consider yourself lucky. For several reasons.” She winked and Prompto flustered.

“Ya ya but can I go in too?” Noctis was all but climbing up Ignis.

She opened the door and let Prompto in first probably just to be sassy, but the three of them entered.

The air felt knocked out of Prompto's lungs as he caught his first look of their friend. He'd seen Gladio in lots of ways since meeting him.

Vulnerable was not one of them.

But now he saw Gladio laid out in a hospital bed looking almost small somehow. There were machines hooked up to him, beeping alongside his heart. His dark hair fanned out around his head on the pillow. His eyes were closed, as if it wasn't different than the time he had napped a little on the couch while Ignis made dinner.

Prompto took a few steps forward. Ignis and Noctis stayed behind him. Maybe they were also in shock at seeing their close friend like this.

Prompto finally noticed the bandages on his face. They covered the left side completely, so Prompto stayed on the right side, and he let his fingers drag along the bed until they hit Gladio’s fingers. He stopped. Let his fingers rest there, just resting against Gladio.

“He’ll be ok,” the nurses voice made them all jump. “The bottle missed his eye, just will leave a scar. We did dissolving stitches, so he shouldn’t need to come back in after we release him unless something gets infected. Can I leave his prescription with you?”

She was speaking to Prompto. He blinked. “Uh ya, ya, of course.” He took the offered slip of paper and shoved it into his pocket.

“We’ll keep him here overnight just to make sure he's free of infection since he was struck with that bottle. Visiting hours are until nine.”

They all three nodded and then she was gone.

Noctis pushed past Ignis to Gladio’s left side. Ignis at his feet.

Prompto took Gladio’s hand in his. Unconscious like this, his heart ached, and he just wanted to hold him, to be there for him, to protect him.

“Are You ok?” Noctis’s voice made him stir.

“Huh?”

“Did it hurt you?”

“Oh. Ya, I was at work. I thought I was dying.” He caught the mistake in his wording too late when Noctis paled and looked down at Gladio.

“I thought he was too, for a second. After he knocked the guy out he just. Laid there, on the ground.”

Prompto swallowed. He tightened his grip on Gladio’s hand.

“Perhaps we should go grab some food from the cafeteria and bring it back up?”

“I don't wanna.”

“Noct -”

They shared a look. Prompto let them have their argument of the minds while he looked over Gladio up close.

The door closed. He spun around to see the room empty.

He turned back to Gladio.

“You big idiot,” he leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. “You gotta be careful even when it comes to the prince, okay?”

He sat on the chair next to the bed, still not releasing Gladio’s hand.

“Or what?” A low voice spoke above him.

When he looked up, Gladio still has his eyes shut, but he has a smirk on his face.

Prompto stood. “Don't you dare make that face, you're in a hospital!”

A squeeze of his hand, he looked down to see they were still interlaced.

“Uh oh sorry I didn’t mean to.”

When he tried to pull away, Gladio’s hand tightened. “No it’s...it’s ok. I appreciate it.”

Prompto sat back down but didn't release the hand. It was the least he could do, he figured, to try to comfort him. Gladio hit a button so his bed adjusted, and he was sitting a little more upright. Prompto focused on their hands while the bed whirred as it moved.

“You alright?”

He looked up. Gladio had turned his head a little on the pillow to face him more. His right eye seemed a brighter amber than usual - probably just the hospital room lighting.

“Dude are you kidding me asking that right now?”

“At least I knew what I was getting into. You were what, at work?”

He fidgeted with his free hand, toying with the edge of his jacket. He could lie, but they had to face what this meant. It wouldn’t do to hide that from each other. “Ya, freaked a mom out like crazy.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Ya because you totally had control over the crazy drunk guy coming after you with a broken bottle.”

Gladio huffed and looked up at the ceiling. “It's such a weird thing, like a blessing and a curse.”

“All I really seem to get is the curse.” Prompto snapped his mouth shut.

Gladio’s stare on him was intense, a mix of worried, concerned, and sad that had Prompto wanting to shrink away. “It wasn't all bad before, right?”

They never talked about what it had been like, not really. They certainly never talked about all the ways in which they were very much in tune with each other’s bodies without ever actually physically touching one another.

Prompto knew he was blushing, and he had nowhere to hide. “I mean, no but. You know. Now it’s like. You know, I know, so we’ve...”

“Prompto,”

“I’m making it weird I’m sorry it’s just…”

“You’re soulmates with a guy who regularly gets his ass kicked as part of his daily routine, has a job that risks his life. It’s okay that you feel like you’re at the shit end of the bargain.”

Hearing Gladio talk like that was weird, because he thought Gladio was the one getting the shitty deal here, with him as a soulmate and all. “I could always fall more.”

Gladio laughed, then hissed and held a hand up to the bandages. Prompto did his best not to move, not to show the way the pain spiked on his face as well.

“I was...really worried. After I got over the initial pain. I knew what it meant, and then I couldn't get a hold of you. Or Noctis. And all I could think was. Something happened, and I was just there at work. And couldn't do anything to help.”

“Prompto.”

“Maybe I could just. Not just train with you every now and then, maybe I can do something more serious. Like...join the Crownsguard or something. Then I could be with you guys more, and help, and just.”

He registered Gladio moving too late, caught up in his ramble. Too late to realize how he twisted his body and reached over with his left hand to cup the side of Prompto's face.

He had seconds to take a breath and lift his chin before their lips connected. He rose up a little in his seat, into the kiss, and tightened his grip on Gladio’s hand. His other hand flitted about until it had hold of the collar of the hospital gown and he held on for dear life because _Gladio_ was kissing _him_.

The sensation was unlike anything he’d ever felt even from before. The reverb effect of feeling Gladio’s pleasure at kissing him, Prompto’s own senses going haywire as their lips slid against each other, and soon their kiss deepened --

They both groaned and flinched away, pain in their expressions.

Prompto fell back into the seat and touched his lips. Gladio sat up a little more, hand gripping the bar of the hospital bed.

“I’m--”

“Gladio-”

They both laughed nervously. Gladio closed his eye and fell back against the bed. Prompto decided it was time to stop hiding, maybe it was time to just go for what was right in front of him.

He huffed and stood. “Scoot over.”

Gladio raised his good eyebrow, but he did as instructed, scooting to his left. Prompto slipped off his shoes and slid onto the bed. It was just big enough, his right side barely pressed against the bars, his left side fitting right up against Gladio. He looked up to see a television set up in the corner, the remote hooked up to the bed.

“Wanna watch some shitty reality shows until the guys get back here with dinner?”

Gladio’s arm wrapped around Prompto’s shoulder. He nestled into the crook of his arm, head on his chest.

“You bet I do.”

Prompto started to surf the channels. Soon he heard the sound of Gladio’s soft snores.

**Author's Note:**

> yes i based the title of stray italian greyhound by vienna teng it is like THE PERFECT song for this au imo [[and really for prompto period] 
> 
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS AGAIN hope you enjoyed, thanks for giving me a chance to hop back into this au :333333


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